http://mmajunkie.comMACAU – In a clash of natural-born entertainers, Alex Caceres lost the battle of walkouts to Motonobu Tezuka but won the fight.

Despite some early threats on the mat, Tezuka couldn’t sustain the momentum in the later rounds, and Caceres’s striking ultimately carried him to a split-decision victory.

The bantamweight bout closed out the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 6 event at CotaiArena in Venetian Macau Resort Hotel. It streamed on Facebook before a main card on FUEL TV.

Tezuka, a veteran of the Japanese circuit who took the fight on a week’s notice for injured Kyung Ho Kang, walked to the cage with a T-shirt covering a bizarre mask. He played up to the cameras and fans, and at least initially, he had the edge over fellow free spirit Caceres.

The first round proved as colorful as the fighters’ entrances. Tezuka quickly moved from a single- to double-leg takedown and quickly secured side control. However, despite Tezuka isolating his opponent’s arm, referee Marc Goddard called for a baffling standup. Afterward, Tezuka secured a single leg and worked for a takedown, but Caceres escaped and then immediately hopped on top. But the fighters continually scrambled for position with neither fighter taking a clear edge in the back-and-forth round.

In the following round, Tezuka patiently waited for Caceres to wind up and then wrapped his hips and took him to the mat. Caceres, though, worked his way back to his feet and unloaded some strikes from range. He also landed as Tezuka attempted additional takedowns, which helped Caceres take the round.

In the final frame, Caceres slipped on a head kick and was quickly popped by a Tezuka punch. But he was more composed for the remainder of the round. Punches, kicks and knees all found their mark, and solid takedown defense kept Caceres upright for most of the round.

In the end, “The Ultimate Fighter 12″ veteran settled for a split nod (28-29, 30-27, 30-27) that should have been unanimous.

Caceres (8-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has now won three of four since losing his first two UFC fights. Tezuka (19-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), meanwhile, snaps a three-fight win streak and suffers just his second loss in his 17 fights.

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